Collapsible box



May l, 1951 A. M. L Ewls ETAL 2,550,830

COLLAPSIBLE BOX Filed Aug. 28, 1947 F/GJ. 2f 25 Patented May 1, 15951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE BOX Albert- M. Lewis and Peter B. Weiler, Detroit, Mich.

Application August 28, r1947, Serial No. 771,094

y 4 Claims. 1

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a collapsible box adapted for containing various articles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a collapsible box of this class which will be simple in structure, economical of manufacture, durable, light, strong when extended, and capable of being pulled into compact position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a box of this class so arranged and constructed that a collapsion of the box unduly upon itself is prevented.

Another object of the inventionA is the provision of a box f this type so arranged and constructed that when expanded, the various parts will retain each other in expanded position and which will permit the boxes to be piled one upon the otherwithout injure of lateral or longitudinal displacement.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

It is recognized that various modications and changes may be made in the detail of structure illustrated without departing from the invention itself and it is intended that such shall be embraced within the scope of the claims which vform a part hereof.

Forming a part of this specification are drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig l slightly enlarged,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of lone of the parts with parts broken away and parts shown in section,

Fig 5 is a side elevational view of the box in collapsed form.

As shown in the drawings, the box comprises a bottom 9 having along its longtudinal edges the upwardly projecting anges I0 and I'l and formed on these flanges are the spaced apart knuckles l2. Side walls t3 and Ill are provided having the spaced apart knuckles I5 which lie between the knuckles I2 and the flanges Il) and II, these flanges being cut away, as at I'I, to accommodate the knuckles I5, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The side walls are also cut away, as at I8, to accommodate the knuckles I2. Extended through these knuckles I2 and I5 is a rod I6 whereby the side walls I3 and I4 are swingably connected to the bottom 9.

End Walls 2| are provided having spaced apart knuckles 22 at their lower edges' and cut away. as at 20, to accommodate the knuckles I9 on the 2 bottom 9. Extended through these knuckles I9 and 22 is a rod 23 so that the end walls ZI are thus hingedly or swingably mounted on the bottom 9.

The upper edges of these end walls 2 I are provided with the curved portion 24 which springs into clamping relation with the rectangular rod 25;Y the various walls, as well as the top and bottom of the box, being formed preferably from resilient metal.

This rectangular rod y25 is mounted at the upper edge and extends through the spaced apart knuckles 26 formed on one of the longitudinal edges of the cover or lid 2l. The opposite edge of this -cover or lid 2l is -provided with the semicircular portion 2-8 which snaps over the upper edge of the side wall I3. A side wall Il? is provided with lthe spaced apart knuckles 3B through which also extends the rod 25. This rod 25 also extends through the knuckles 29 formed in the upper edge of the side -wall I3. Consequently, it will be vnoted that thel opposite edges of the side walls are hingedly connected, the lower edges of these side walls being hingedly ccnnected to opposite sides of the bottom 9 and the upper edges being hingedly connected to opposite sides of the rectangular rod 25 Ato one side of which -is also hingedly connected the cover or lid 2l. The upper edges o f the end walls 2! are hingedly connected so that they may be swung inwardly, as shown in the dotted line position vin Fig. 2, and pressed downwardly to lie flat in engagement with the bottom 9. When in this position, and the cover 2l is raised to disengage the `knuckle 25, the entire box may then be collapsed in the direction shown by the dotted line construction in Fig. 3 until one of the side walls I3 will rest upon the bottom 9 and the end walls 2 I, which have already been collapsed upon the bottom, and the other -side wall will swing outwardly away from the bot.- tom and the cover 21 will swing with it so as to lie flat upon it and upon a portion of the bottom so that the construction will be collapsed `into the form shown'in Fig. 5. In this way, the

collapsed box is reduced to a compact size and may be transported and stored with a minimum space occupied. When it is desired to extend the box, the movement is reversed and when the up-right position is obtained, the end walls may then be swung outwardly and their curved upper edges snapped over the rod 25 to securely lock the box in its extended position. When the box is filled, the cover may also 3 be closed into the position shown in Fig. 3, thus further locking the box against collapsing.

Pressed outwardly from the bottom 9 are elon- Y gated ribs 3| which extend longitudinally thereof in spaced relation and terminate inwardly from the end edges of the bottom. Similar ribs 32 are pressed inwardly on the cover 27 so that when the boxes are placed one upon the other, these ribs may nest with each other and serve to prevent lateral and longitudinal displacement. Experience has shown that a box constructed in this manner is most durable and one which will not collapse even when serving as the base for a large number of boxes piled upon it. The box lends itself particularly well for dispensing baked goods, such as buns, bread, and the like in which itis desired that the container in which the product is'delivered shall be returned to the bakery. Experience has shown that the metal box con- :structed in this manner is much more economical A.than the ordinary cardboard box which is now commonly used.

What we claim as new is:

1. A collapsible box of the class described, comprising; a bottom; a pair of oppositely disposed :side walls, each hingedly connected at its lower fedge to opposite sides of said bottom; a wire iframe having oppositely disposed sides and oppositely disposed end walls hingedly connected at their lower edges to opposite end edges of said bottom and foldable inwardly to lie upon the inner surface of said bottom when in collapsed form and engageable with the end portion of said frame when swung upwardly to extend at right angles to the bottom; and resilient means on the upper edges of said end walls for snapping over the ends of said frame and retaining said end walls in operating position; and a cover hingedly connected along one of its longitudinal edges to one side of said frame and engageable when swung to closing position for engaging the inner faces of said side walls and preventing inward swinging of the same.

2. A collapsible box of the class described, comprising: a bottom; a pair of oppositely disposed side Walls, each hingedly connected at its lower edge to opposite sides of said bottom; a wire frame having oppositely disposed sides and oppositely disposed end walls hingedly connected at their lower edges to opposite end edges of said bottom and foldable inwardly to lie upon the inner surface of said bottom when in collapsed form and engageable with the end portion of said frame when swung upwardly to extend at right angles to the bottom; and resilient means on the upper edges of said end Walls for snapping over the ends of said frame and retaining said end walls Yin operating position; and a cover hingedly connected along one of its longitudinal edges to one ,-.side of said frame and engageable when swung :to closing position for engaging the inner faces :of said side Walls and preventing inward swing- ;ing of the same; and resilient means on the free edge of said cover for snapping over the opposite side of said frame and securing said cover in closed position.

3. A collapsible box of the class described, comprising: a bottom; a pair of oppositely disposed side walls, each hingedly connected at its lower' edge to opposite sides of said bottom; a wire frame having oppositely disposed sides and oppositely disposed end Walls hingedly connected at their' lower edges to opposite end edges of said bottom and foldable inwardly to lie upon the inner sur-4 face of said bottom when in collapsed form and engageable with the end portion of said frame when swung upwardly to extend at right angles to the bottom; and resilient means on the upper edges of said end walls for snapping over the ends of said frame and retaining said end walls in operating position; and a cover hingedly connected along one of its longitudinal edges to one side of said frame and engageable when swung to closing position for engaging the inner faces of said side Walls and preventing inward swinging of the same; and' resilient means on the free edges of said cover for snapping over the opposite side of said frame and securing said cover in closed position; and longitudinally directed spaced apart ribs projecting outwardly from said bottom and terminating inwardly from the ends of said bottom, said cover having depressions form-ed in its outer face for accommodating the ribs of a box superimposed thereon.

4. In a collapsible box of the class described, a bottom; a pair of oppositely disposed side walls, each hingedly connected at its lower edge to opposite sides of said bottom; a cover swingably mounted on the upper edge of one of said side wall and swingable to operative position in overlying spaced relation to said bottom and into engagement with the upper edge of the other of said side Walls; a rigid frame having oppositely disposd sides and oppositely disposed ends, the upper edges of said side Walls being hingedly connected to opposite sides of said frame for forcing outward swinging of one of said side walls relative to said bottom upon inward swinging of the other of said side walls relative to said bottom, either of said side Walls being adapted for swinging inwardly of said bottom and overlying the same in close proximity to provide a compact collapsible structure.

ALBERT M. LEWIS. PETER B. WEILER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,027,215 Poppert May21, 1912 1,139,536 Klenk May 18, 1915 1,240,757 Mortland and Kail Sept. 18, 1917 1,331,862 Claus Feb. 24, 1920 1,420,992 Erickson June 27, 1922 1,521,936 Fadden Jan. 6, 1925 2,023,886 Hoffman Dec. 10, 1935 

